Promise me
by madderthanahatter55
Summary: Madeleine was just a normal Barista, accepting a simple life with nothing too wonderful to be expected, until the day she met Arthur. Arthur was a stuck up business man, never searching for love until he stumbled into a coffee shop on a business trip. It was a welcomed change, but nothing ever lasts forever. WWIII AU Fem!Canada Human names used. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

She couldn't explain it, explain why suddenly she was dreaming of the day three years ago when she'd met her best friend Arthur, but Madeleine was. Maybe because it was their anniversary today, or maybe she missed Arthur so terribly, her memories were all she had to cling to until the other returned home. Arthur had been away fighting for more than a month now, and though Madeleine received a letter almost every day, she couldn't help but be worried sick. She curled up tighter in her bed, clinging even more to her dreams as they came.

.:.

_Three years earlier_

_Vancouver, Canada_

It was a cold and rainy December morning, a morning that Madeleine personally enjoyed, and it all seemed to be going well. She was a barista for a local coffee shop in Vancouver, and though she'd only worked there for a couple months, she got along well with just about everyone she met. Madeleine was a very shy girl, there was not a doubt in anyone's mind about that, but once her shell was cracked open and she was exposed, most would see what a lovely and kind person she really was.

"Maddie~!" Her best friend called as Madeleine walked in, a bright smile on Amelia's face as she made her way over to greet Madeleine. "You're early again, you know. You shouldn't come in until it's time." Amelia pestered with a pout, poking her Canadian friend's cheek. Madeleine giggled and made her way behind the counter, putting on an apron that was labeled with her name.

"Amelia, I like coming in early. Unlike you, I actually enjoy working, especially here." Madeleine smiled at Amelia, who stuck her tongue out in disgust, hopping onto the counter as she watched the other.

"You know…for the time you've been here, I've been thinking….we never see you outside of work, and you never want to hang out. Why is that? Do you got a boyfriend we don't know about~?" Amelia teased, Madeleine nearly dropping the change she had in her hand. She handed the man his change and turned to Amelia with a scowl.

"F-For your information….I-I don't have a boyfriend, and the reason I don't ever hang out is because I have things that need to be taken care of at home." She informed Amelia, turning back and taking another order. "A-And get off the counter and start making these orders, we're busy this morning!" Madeleine barked, a giggle leaving Amelia as she hopped off the counter and starting working. That's usually how their days went. There was gossip, work, lunch with more gossip, talk of plans they would never follow through with; just gossip, coffee, sweets, and lonely nights next to a wine bottle-whiskey in Amelia's case.

Was that really what life was all about? You go to school, you pick up bad habits, and then you kill yourself working? Madeleine seemed to have accepted this, but Amelia on the other hand wanted no part of it.

"I'm gonna find a rich man, marry him, have a couple kids, and we're going to spend our days having fun and seeing the world!" Amelia had vowed one snowy morning, Madeleine laughing at her friend's silly dreams. "Don't laugh at me, Maddie, it's going to happen, just you wait and see! I'm going to get out of this place and I'm going to see everything." She was a lost cause, a dreamer, and Madeleine knew that, but it was nice to imagine.

The start of that day had been the same; they had the same customers come in, ordering the same coffees and snacks. It was a rut that Madeleine had never imagined her life coming to, but just out of high school, there were only so many places she could go. It truly shocked her that Amelia, who was only a year older than she was, talked in such a way. Wanting to marry a rich man so she didn't have to work, it didn't seem right. Madeleine and Amelia were complete polar opposites in every way, but Amelia was really all Madeleine had in the way of friends, and though she could irritate her, Madeleine loved Amelia as if they were sisters.

As it was, Madeleine and Amelia were simply enjoying their afternoon drinks, sharing stories of their childhood, when the bell rang over the door. The two blondes turned, Madeleine catching sight of him first. He was a bit of a tall man, maybe 5 foot 9 inches, with blonde hair and stunning green eyes. The most noticeable feature though was his eyebrows. Upon seeing him, Amelia burst into laughter, his eyebrows reminding her of fuzzy caterpillars. Madeleine on the other hand only seemed to notice how….handsome the man was, finding herself staring. The man truly didn't seemed thrilled by either of them, knowing that Amelia was laughing at his eyebrows, and figuring Madeleine was staring at them as well. With quite an attitude, he walked up to Madeleine and ordered.

"A Vanilla Bean with a slice of pumpkin loaf, please. And if you wouldn't mind, could you stop staring at me?" His voice had an obvious English accent to it, and his last request sent Madeleine into a fit of stammers and eventually telling him the price. Her gaze was on the counter now, her face heating up in embarrassment as she took his credit card, swiped it, and handed him his pumpkin loaf. Amelia, who was finally standing upright, started to make his drink, all the while watching the man.

"So, what's your name? And you sound like, British or something. What brings you to Canada?" Amelia asked, her cheek resting in her hand as she leaned on the counter after handing the man his drink. Trying not to roll his eyes, the man took a bite of his pumpkin loaf and sighed.

"My name is Arthur, and yes, I am from England. Not that it's really any of your business, but I'm here for work." Amelia stuck her tongue out in disgust, Arthur clearly not amused by such childish play. "Listen, I really have to go. Thanks for the drink and food." With that, Arthur turned and started to make his way out. There was a small squeak of a voice from behind him that made him stop and turn in curiosity, staring at Madeleine with a brow raised.

"H-How long are you in Canada for? If y-you get lost, I can…m-maybe show you around?" Her violet eyes were those of a child, innocent and big, with the curiosity strung through them when it came to everything. Arthur sighed a bit and turned to her, tossing his empty bag in the trash.

"Thank you, poppet, but I've been to Vancouver plenty of times; I don't need your help." Arthur replied a bit coldly. Madeleine blinked a bit before nodding to herself, continuing to clean the counter as she had been. Amelia pouted and crossed her arms.

"Hey, you don't have to be such a jerk you know, she was just trying to be nice, unlike you caterpillar brows!" Amelia growled, glaring daggers at Arthur. He simply chuckled and rolled his eyes at her.

"Say what you will, darling. It's all just sticks and stones." With that, Arthur walked out, leaving Amelia blowing raspberries at him and Madeleine wishing she'd just stayed quiet. Amelia looked over at her friend with a sympathetic gaze, walking over and wrapping her in a hug. Madeleine simply continued to clean, as if nothing had happened, and to her, nothing had.

"Don't take what he said to heart Maddie, he's just an idiot! He'd be lucky to have someone like you take him around the city!" She assured, though Madeleine simply shrugged. Amelia huffed in disapproval, poking her friend's cheek. "You know what; I'm taking you out tonight! After work, we're going to get fancied up and go dancing!" Amelia declared, Madeleine looking up at her skeptically.

"Amelia, we always talk about doing this, but we never, ever follow up on it. What makes this time any different?" She sighed and leaned against the counter. "Come on, it's time to lock up." She moved away from Amelia and hung her apron, grabbing the keys to the store and going to the entrance as she waited for the other. "Amelia, come on, I just want to go home." Madeleine said with quite the irritation when the other refused to move. With a sigh of frustration and a glare, Madeleine finally agreed. "Fine, we'll go dancing, but I want to be home by 1, okay?" Amelia squealed in delight and ran over, grabbing her friend by the arm and leading her off.

.:.

It was like being in a sauna, the hot breaths, the sweaty bodies; it was all almost too much to bear. How Amelia could love these kinds of places was beyond Madeleine as she watched her friend from the comfort of her table. She was way out of her element, dressed in a skimpy dress that barely covered her bum or her chest, it was just ridiculous. Amelia had convinced her that, since they were going to a town where no one knew them, such attire would work great with her, and while it was a pretty dress, it made Madeleine just too uncomfortable.

"For god's sake Maddie, would you get the stick out of your ass and come dance?" Amelia growled with impatience, clearly a bit tipsy as she staggered over to Madeleine. Not bothering with her friend's pleas and protests, Amelia dragged Madeleine off her chair and to the dance floor, where she gave the younger blonde a shot of some clear liquid. "Drink, it'll make it easier to loosen up, okay? Trust me." Amelia smiled before leaving her friend in the middle of the dance floor, confused and scared.

"…What have I got to lose?" Madeleine mumbled, tipping her head back and downing the liquid. She regretted it immediately when she started to cough hard, the liquid fire burning her throat as it made its way to her stomach. It was stronger than anything she'd ever tried, knowing what it was the moment the burning started. Vodka, Amelia had handed her vodka? She groaned softly, starting to make her way out of the crowd, but not before a soft voice whispered in her ear.

"Where are you going, love?" The voice asked, his accent sounding Eritish, though a bit slurred, his breath warm on her skin as his lips caressed down to her neck and then her shoulder. Madeleine froze for a number of reasons, the two main being that a complete stranger was pressing against her like two sardines in a can, and she recognized the voice. She started to turn, but the man kept her in place, moving back to her ear. "No…stay just like this, please?" She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and part of her told her she should move away and just go sit down, but as the vodka made its way through her, she couldn't help but want to dance with him.

It didn't take long for the two to start to grind into each other breathlessly, the smell of sweat and alcohol strong between them. The man had, for the most part, kept his hands to himself, keeping them solely on her hips to help her grind and dance in unison with him. It was an amazing feeling, one that she'd never experienced before, and she wanted more of it. But it all seemed to end a bit soon, the man pulling away and leaving her dazed. She looked around frantically for him, but he was already gone. She couldn't help but feel dejected, a soft sigh leaving her as she staggered to her table, grabbed her purse, and left the club. Where Amelia was, Madeleine had no idea, but all she knew was that she was tired, drunk, and a bit miserable now. Despite the weather, she removed her shoes that had been killing her all night, and started home.

.:.

The morning came too quickly for Madeleine, who was, in every sense, hung over, and very sleep deprived. For who knows how many hours, she had been staring at her ceiling, trying to clear her mind and figure out who the man had been. Surely it wasn't the one from yesterday afternoon, the one that had completely rejected her. But if it was, did he maybe not recognize her? Was that why he danced in such a way with her? Sighing, she pushed herself up from her bed and got into the shower, thinking of the mystery man, who she would probably never see again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Forgive me for not updating much, I'm super busy at the moment, but I will try to update when I can. I also promise to make up for this very short chapter with the next one!**

Another slow morning met Madeleine as she leaned on the counter at the coffee shop, groaning from her slight hang over as she sipped her coffee. She had no idea where Amelia was and that made her incredibly nervous. No one had come in yet that day and she was thankful for that, being able to nurse her hangover a bit better. She couldn't help but groan when she heard the bell over the door ring, signaling someone's approach. She turned and sighed, opening her eyes and gulping a little.

"'Ello again, love." Arthur said with a groggy voice, rubbing his temple. "Can I get a Caramel Macchiato with a double shot of caffeine?" He asked, looking up at Madeleine with tired green eyes. She nodded and took his card, swiping it and handing him the receipt, and proceeding to make the coffee. Arthur chuckled as he watched her, Madeleine turning to see what was so funny. "Sorry, I just find it amusing that you have to run this place by yourself…from the looks of it last night, your friend got quite…_acquainted _with a young man last night at the club." Madeleine nearly dropped the coffee she held out to him, her eyes wide. Arthur laughed and nodded, as if answering an unspoken question. "Yes, I was there last night. A few of my co-workers thought it'd be a good idea to take me out." He took his coffee and sat down at a table, motioning for Madeleine to sit as well.

A soft gulp ran through her as she took her own coffee and sat down across from him, her face bright red as she stared at the ground. "….W-Were you the one I was dancing with?" She asked with a squeaky voice, avoiding his gaze as much as possible. Arthur raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head.

"I refused to get on the dance floor. Must have been one of my co-workers." He snickered and sipped at his coffee, yawning. Madeleine couldn't tell if she were relieved or if she was disappointed, staring at the coffee in her lap. Arthur watched her for a moment before sighing. "Look, I-I didn't mean to embarrass you, yesterday I mean. I felt bad about it, but…with your friend here; I didn't want to accept your invitation, lest she became upset, too. I hope I didn't cause you much trouble…" Madeleine quickly shook her head, looking up at him with a fake smile.

"Oh, d-don't worry about it, please. I was just being friendly after all." She let out an uneasy laugh, Arthur frowning a bit. Deciding it was best to just drop the subject, he sipped his coffee some more, staring out the window. Madeleine stared with him, a soft and kind smile on her face as she looked out at the beautiful yet dark Vancouver area. Eventually, Arthur's gaze drifted to Madeleine, staring at her curiously. Her mouth was parted just slightly, lips a light, natural pink color, her hair a dirty blonde color that flowed down half of her back, at least, but it was hard to tell with it up in two long pigtails. She was average sized, no more than 5'3", but she was lean, especially her legs. He blushed lightly at the fact that he had taken in her figure so well. However, the most captivating thing about her was her eyes. He had never met someone with violet eyes, and they were utterly gorgeous. He knew that if she'd let him, he could stare into them for eternity, maybe longer.

"…You know," He started, drawing Madeleine's attention back to him. "You don't seem like the kind of person who would want to stay somewhere as cold as Canada." She smiled at that, raising an eyebrow at him. Taking that as a hint to go on, Arthur sipped his coffee and set it aside, a small smirk on his face. "You strike me as the kind of person who would love to live near the ocean, someplace nice and warm." Madeleine's smile grew bigger as she giggled.

"Believe it or not, Mr. Kirkland, that's exactly how I would want to live. When I get enough money saved up, I'm leaving this place behind and going to San Francisco." She smiled at the thought, continuing to explain her perfect dream home, and what she wanted in the future. Arthur was completely entranced by her, listening intently, and even wishing to give her such things, in spite of the fact that she was a complete and utter stranger. At least one child, two at max, a beautiful house outside of the city, near the coast, maybe even on a hill that overlooked the ocean, nice and big, too, and a husband who loved her as much as she would adore him. As Arthur listened, he found himself smiling at her, finding how she talked about what she wanted in life quite amazing. Such a young girl, but she had everything figured out. On any other given occasion, he never would have taken the time to sit and talk with her, with anyone really, but something about her made him want to know it all, no matter what that may be.

"Well, it seems you've got it all figured out then. Now, since I've been so ungentlemanly in the fact that I have yet to ask you…might you tell me your name? It seems that I've been so busy giving my impressions of you, I didn't bother to ask." He gave an apologetic smile and Madeleine giggled.

"Madeleine." She said after she'd stopped her giggle fit, staring up at him with sparkling violet eyes. "My name is Madeleine Williams." She extended her hand to him, and Arthur took it happily, bringing the knuckles to his lips as he gently kissed them, Madeleine's face turning a bright red color. He released her hand and she turned away shyly, a soft laugh leaving Arthur.

"My, you are a shy one indeed….It makes me feel worse for being so rude to you yesterday." Madeleine shook her head, waving off and smiling at him. Arthur smiled in relief and leaned in a bit. "Truth be told, I'd really love to have you show me around. While it's true that I've been here hundreds of times, I have yet to see all there is to see. And since you appear to be a local…" He trailed off, glancing at her. Madeleine tried to hide a bright smile and nodded.

"I-I'd love to show you around, whenever you'd like." She told him, pushing her glasses up a bit on her nose. Arthur smiled in return, blinking when his phone started to go off. Excusing himself, he stood and made his way out of the shop, answering his phone. Madeleine relaxed when he left, letting out a sigh of relief. She hadn't realized it until then, but she had been holding her breath, ecstatic about being able to go on a da—wait…could it really be considered a date? She blinked a few times, chewing her lip thoughtfully. If Amelia were here, she would definitely say it was a date, but Madeleine wasn't so sure. Did showing him around honestly mean date? Her thoughts were cut off by Arthur running back in with a quiet swear, smiling apologetically at her.

"Forgive me, poppet, but it seems I'm late for a meeting. However….seeing as how I would very much enjoy seeing you again, could you be bothered for your number?" He asked, offering her a pen and small piece of paper. Madeleine smiled and took the pen, quickly scribbling down on the paper her number-home and cell-and handed it back to him. Arthur smiled and grabbed his coat, waving goodbye. "Until next time!" He called as he rushed out, leaving Madeleine in a daze. She smiled and went back behind the counter, attempting to get ahold of Amelia to no avail. Sighing, Madeleine put her phone away and, come closing time, locked up and headed home. It had been interesting to say the least.

.:.

It was only natural that Madeleine would be in the tub when her phone rang, the Canadian looking up from her book and sighing softly as she stood. Being careful not to get her favorite book wet, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her slim body, setting her book down on the counter as she went to the bedroom to answer her phone.

"Hello?" She answered, not having checked the caller I.D. first. She had to take the phone away from her ear a bit when Amelia's voice shouted into the other end, nearly deafening her.

"Maddie! You're never going to believe this, but I hooked up with someone last night!" She cried, squealing when she'd finished, Madeleine practically seeing the other jumping for joy. Despite being somewhat happy, and jealous, for her friend, her tone was a scolding kind, crossing her arms.

"Amelia! I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours! Do you know worried I was?!" Madeleine cried, sighing softly. "I'm happy for you, dear, but I've been worried sick that something happened to you." Amelia was heard laughing on the other end, Madeleine going to sit on her bed despite still dripping wet from the tub. She laid down as she waited for the other's explanation, letting her towel unravel a bit.

"I'm sorry Mads, but we were just having such a good time~ and…I was a little hung over." Amelia laughed sheepishly, Madeleine rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know, and say sorry for missing work today. Was it crazy busy?" She asked, sounding curious. Madeleine laughed lightly, shaking her head despite the fact that her friend couldn't see her.

"On the contrary actually, there were only a few people who came in. Believe it or not, that Eyebrows guy, Arthur, came in. A-And…guess what~!" She had to keep from giggling childishly, Amelia blaring 'what' repeatedly into the phone. Once she calmed down, Madeleine finally spoke again. "He asked me out!" The two squealed, but Amelia composed herself first.

"I knew you were too good to resist~" She teased, making Madeleine blush. "Hey, Maddie, I gotta go. Give me all the details tomorrow at work, okay?" She said a quick 'goodbye' and hung up, madeleine sighing as she set the phone down and sat up, returning to her bath. It was only moments later, of course when she was in the tub again, that her cellphone went off, a text message from a number she didn't recognize flashing at her. A brow rose in curiosity as she checked her phone and read the text, smiling as she saw who it was.

'Hello there, Madeleine, it's Arthur. About that date, I'm free tomorrow afternoon and into the evening, if you would like to meet up then.'

'That sounds lovely. I have tomorrow off, so it's perfect.' Madeleine sent back, sinking further into the warm bath water. Arthur didn't reply for a while, Madeleine having gotten out of the bath when he finally did.

'Time and place?' He asked, making Madeleine think a bit.

'I have tomorrow off, but we can still meet at the coffee shop, around 2.' Madeleine had sent, Arthur replying with a simple 'ok' and a 'have a very good night, dear.' She smiled softly and got into her pajamas, silk pants and a silk tank top, and crawled into bed, watching some mindless show on T.V. as she eased into sleep. It was a peaceful one, one without any dreams, but blissful rest. Perhaps it was her excitement that kept the dreams at bay, but Madeleine, even in her sleep, couldn't seem to get the smile off her face.


End file.
